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Screen sharing and the existing plug-in

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Level 1
I'm thinking about building a nice e-learning solution but
screen sharing is essential. Can someone explain to me why it's
technically impossible to use the screen sharing api like it is
being used by ConnectNow? I don't mind that my users will have to
download the plug-in just like the ConnectNow users have to do.
Given the fact that CoCoMo is a hosted service it should be good
for the Adobe business and the technology is already
there...
13 Replies

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Employee
Nothing (or almost nothing) is technically impossible :)



The problem here is the addin has access to the client system
resources (screen and keyboard) and so for security reason it only
runs signed applications (and the only application we sign today is
ConnectNow).



In order to enable SDK applications to run in the addin we
should either forego the signing (not an option :) or we get into
the business of validating and signing developer applications, with
policies possibly even stricter than Apple AppStore :)



We have some other ideas on how to offer this functionality
but right now are just ideas, but we understand that this is a
feature very appealing to many of you and and it's high in our list
of most requested features.



Avatar

Level 1
Good to hear that you're thinking about a solution. Feel free
to let us know in which direction you're thinking :)

I think that showing a popup (just like with webcam access)
should be acceptable, no?

Avatar

Level 1
Good to hear that you're thinking about a solution. Feel free
to let us know in which direction you're thinking :)

I think that showing a popup (just like with webcam access)
should be acceptable, no?

Avatar

Level 2
Has anyone explored a "snapshot" approach? Is there an easy
way to get a handle to the underlying bitmap of a Flex UIComponent
if "cacheasbitmap" is set to true?

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Former Community Member


Hi Rick,



For sharing content within the player, absolutely, sending
bitmap snapshots (w/ jpg compression for bandwidth) can work. Even
if cacheAsBitmap is false, you should be able to use :



var bData:BitmapData = new BitmapData(YDO.width, YDO.height,
true, 0xffffff);

bData.draw(YDO, null, null, null, null, true);



where YDO = your display object. From there, you should be
able to compress it and send it via a messageItem.



nigel

Avatar

Level 1
Some kind of user confirmation should be enough to authorize
this add-in, as RIA Flex said, like webCam access or some big popup
telling the risks etc. Not having this feature is what is stopping
me(and a lot I guess) to develop an e-learning application using
it.

Avatar

Level 1
Just found this topic and wanted to add my name to those
waiting for some way to do screen sharing like in Connect Pro.



Perhaps I can contribute another potential way for developers
to use the "screen sharing api", through the Adobe Flash
Collaboration Service. When an app needs screen sharing, it would
have to go through an Adobe (or Acrobat) Collaboration server. Then
the Flash player would have a signed app (from the Collaboration
server) and security could be preserved.



Of course, I would be happier with a user approval dialog but
getting some solution would be better then continued waiting.



Thanks for pushing this thread!

Ralph

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Former Community Member

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/
- does some mojo with java.


http://sourceforge.net/projects/camstudio/
- C based open source screen capture. Dunno if something can be
done by alchemy.



Is it possible to make a simple executable that can be
installed very quickly, and turns your screen into a camera, that
can be accessed from flash?



Or may be giving developers access to the ConnectNow plugin,
so they can use it in the AFCS projects?

Avatar

Former Community Member
maybe adobe can introduce new service something like
collaborative VeriSign type certificate model, so that developer
can purchase a certificate/signature from adobe apply it to their
application, and then app should be honored since its signed by
adobe ?

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Former Community Member
I know you'd like a security solution that works across the
board but if I'm building AIR applications which are signed when in
production, are the security concerns alleviated? In other words,
could you have AIR-only support for screen sharing in the beginning
and find a way to allow it for browser-based apps later?

Avatar

Level 1

I have used the same method as Niqel said but it doesn't work properly. Practicly the problem is the slowness of ByteArray netconnection feature that has been added recently. I have captured the screen bitmap from VNC which is quite good quality and have no problem with that. The main issue is to share this image with others. I tried to decrease color depth and do high compression jpeg and even tiling the image but nothing worked for me. Well it works! but not usable at all. So if anyone here know a way to send these bitmaps(bitmap plus the updates) properly and efficiently to FMS, please share it with us.

netgenie

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Level 1

Waiting for the Adobe to impliment the API which will enable us ACCESS to Desktop API just like Webcam access.

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Former Community Member

Sorry, not sure what you're asking for - in which ways is Screen Sharing

not enough for you?

nigel